A few thousand questions...

JG762

Ok, I’m new here and my name is John…
I’m 51 and I’ve been fat all of my life, yes I can say that now, I might as well it’s not like it’s a secret or anything. I’ve come to a time in my life where I feel like the time is right to attack this problem in the correct manner. I’ve finally understood that “Food is not Love”, you may or may not understand that, I guess all that matters is that now I do.

Enough of the pleasantries and down to business…
I’ve been reading through things here and the first thing I notice is that many of you are not speaking English, I’m seeing verbiage like Macro-Micro-BMR-Road maps etc etc etc. Now before you say “Read the stickies Read the stickies!!!” I read the stickies… while I understand most of the words there (I did fail English as a first language in HS. LoL) I’m not really exactly grasping what the “meaning” is for some of these things, I feel like I’ve walked into the middle of a complex “who done it” movie and I can’t figure out the good guys from the bad.

What I’m trying to figure out, or maybe its better stated that I’m trying to find some long term balance in what I’ve been doing and what I need to do long term and how I can make that work and still find some happiness and not be miserable etc.

As far as the basics I get it, eat less/better and move more, check. My issues are the quality of the food I consume (a common problem I’m sure) and understanding, really understanding what that means and how to learn to be happy with that.

Some of my basic questions are;
1. Do I really need to keep a food log and if so does it need to have calorie-carb-fat breakdown or just the items?

2. I’ve used the Weight Watchers guidelines in the past and it worked ok, many times I didn’t “eat all my points” and my wife always told me that was an issue, I never understood why?

3. Do I need to follow a “strict” diet (I hate that word) of a specific amount of protein-fat-calories-fiber etc? Or am I better off using a common sense method of don’t eat crap and not over eat it?

4. What are Quest bars and why can’t I live without them? LoL

5. I’ve got a couple thousand other questions but they’re for another day…

Shines01

Hey John,

First starting off. The BMR (basal metabolic rate) and things like that are to help you understand how many calories your body needs to function without any activity at all. That is a BARE minimum of calories you need to eat.

As far as "diet" goes (lots of your questions seem to be related to that) it is all about choices and moderation. Eating clean is one thing that has helped me a LOT. My basic rules when I chose what to eat are to avoid/limit: refined sugar, white flour (white bread, rice, pasta), fried foods, soda, alcohol, coffee, and dairy.

I have found food logging to be VERY helpful to get a truthful idea of what I eat and what it has in it. Before my fitness pal I had a very skewed idea of how many calories/nutrients were in what I was eating. I would say start with just calories but glance over the summary each day and if there is something that is way out of whack maybe do some research on that specific thing.

I like to concentrate on limited complex carbs and making sure I have protein with every meal/snack.

Eating every 2.5-4 hours is a must, your body is fueled by food and going more than 4 hours (except for at night) puts it into starvation mode and you start to go backwards. This can also be why your wife told you to eat all your points, because if you don't eat enough you actually can gain weight.

It isn't necessarily about being on a "strict" diet as it is eating good quality foods. I really have tried to find ways to make things taste good without being so bad for us.

I have no idea about quest bars. I chose to use AdvoCare products so I'm not familiar with other brands

I would love to continue to answer questions and give you some of the resources for food that I use. One thing I have found very helpful is pinterest searching "clean eating" and looking for recipes.

I hope that answered some of your questions

tabbyxxcat

I will also try to answer some of your questions to the best of my knowledge, coming from someone who isn't a hardcore clean eater and isn't body building or anything.

Yes, you want to log everything possible through MFP. The easy part about this website is you can find your food and it will have all the nutrition facts plugged in. But just counting calories is generally not enough.
You do not need to stick to macros perfectly, like the one MFP gave me which is 55% carbs, 30% fat, 15% protein (I DEFINITELY try for more fats and protein than carbs though). But you will find following macros gives you more nutritional value across the board, and since Americans often indulge on carbs, if you want to change your course you will want to fill up on more protein rich meats and certain vegetables and nuts that offer more as well.
I was vegan for almost two months, basically as a life experience, and lost like 10lbs a month eating all carbs (lots of fruit heehee) because I don't like nuts and beans and stuff, so it's not necessary of course.

You will want to fulfill the bulk of your calories for the day. What I generally do is eat my 1200 calories, then say I workout and gain 700 calories, but I will only eat back 500-600 calories and give myself leeway. (yes, nutritional labels can be off, irritates me). I still lose weight this way, and it's more maintainable. If I only ate the 1200 calories, I would probably crash somewhere along the way. So in my opinion it IS important to eat up what you're given, but if you're having a day when you dont have an appetite just make sure you got some good nutrition in.

(I kind of answered your third question in the first one hehe)

I've also never had a quest bar, sorry about that. I heard they're in a lawsuit over lying about their fiber content or something. I'd keep them as a treat and try to eat more home cooked type stuff, good old fashioned meats and veggies type of deal ^^ you will find many quest-addicted people on these forums haha

I've also been fat all my life (I still cant believe that im finally at a healthy/normal BMI weight until I see the number for myself), I understand the journey you're on and truly wish you the best.

wahelga

One thing you will find on this site is lots of different opinions, but that is because different things work for different people and you will work out what works best for you as you progress.

Like you, I am in this for the long haul and I don't diet - this really is a lifestyle change for me and what I do to lose weight and become healthy, I have to be happy to do for the rest of my life.

So I eat my cals as set by MFP and eat the majority of my exercise cals, usually leaving a buffer of 100-300 as a safety net in case I have over estimate my activities or under estimated my food. I exercise every single day (usually walking) and the key is to find something you love and stick with it, but as you get fitter, up the intensity and the duration. Accept that beet red face and sweaty body as a badge of pride in your hard work.

I eat healthy 80-90% of the time - lots of fresh fruit and veg, lean meat, fish etc but don't deny myself the occasional treat. Just make sure it is a treat not a regular event and you'll be fine.

The reason you should eat all your cals (or your points) is to ensure your body gets the energy and nutrition it needs to heal and become that efficient machine you want it to be. Its not a case of eating way less to lose way more, its more about finding the optimum fuel for your body.

And yes, tracking really is needed. If not, you will forget things you eat, think it won't matter if you just have one more slice of pizza etc. I'd also recommend getting some MFP friends and opening your diary to them. They will encourage you, keep you accountable and be able to answer your questions based on what you actually eat and do. Plus, they are usually going through the same struggles as you and so understand.

Good luck - you can do this and it is so worth the effort